Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Xbox)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer is the second video game based on Buffy franchise to be released, though the earliest in terms of setting and the first for a console. Set in the third season between "Revelations" and "Lovers Walk". The Master, being resurrected in a phantom form, is searching for a body to possess. The game was written by Christopher Golden and Thomas E. Sniegoski. Plot Buffy has a prophetic dream about the Master and three powerful Demon spirits. Unbeknown to her at the time, the dream was brought on by the fact that Spike has reformed the Order of Aurelius, including, members Malik and Scylla plot to resurrect the Master once again. Since Buffy had smashed the Master's bones to dust after the last resurrection attempt, the vampires first go about summoning Matereani, The Necromancer. Although Buffy attempts to stop him, Malik steals a book on spirit channeling from Giles and successfully summons Matereani. Buffy does battle briefly with Matereani and his zombie hordes, and though she slays Matereani, he nonetheless manages to bring the Master back as a ghost, much to Buffy's horror. Shortly afterwards, the Scooby Gang agree to consult Angel, the only one who could possibly know what exactly Spike is up to. Unfortunately, several vampires abduct Angel out of his mansion despite Buffy's best efforts to stop them. After fighting Scylla in her demonic snake form and barely defeating her by exposing her to sunlight, Buffy encounters a strangely-behaved Angel, ultimately discovering that the Master's spirit has taken over Angel's body. Just as Spike and Malik arrive, Buffy escapes. The Master then initiates a plan to gather the three Dreamers, Urd, Skuld, and Veroandi. With their combined reality altering powers, the Master can reform his own body and reshape the world as he likes. Fortunately, Buffy is able to intercept one of the dreamers at the docks and destroy it. With only two Dreamers, the Master reformulates his plan. Using blood and iron, he can combine the remaining Dreamers' powers into a powerful weapon. While he is setting this plan in motion, he sends Malik to blow up Sunnydale High School as a distraction. Buffy fights Malik, who was already furious over the death of his girlfriend (and fellow shape shifter) Scylla. Buffy defeats Malik in his were-sabertooth form but as she is walking away, Malik unleashes one final, desperate attack. Caught off-guard, Buffy is saved in the nick of time by Spike, who stakes Malik from behind with a long shaft of wood. Back in the library, Spike explains the situation: he has been forced to do everything by Laibach of the Abyss, an Old One who has taken control of Drusilla, who threatens to completely destroy Drusilla's mind and leave her a vegetable if Spike disobeys him. Laibach plans to bring an army of demons to Earth to take it over, and needs both the Master and the Dreamers to do so. Due to his dislike of being an errand boy, and his own distrust of the Master, Spike has betrayed the Order to strike up a deal with the Scooby Gang: he will help Buffy defeat the Master once more, she will help him save Drusilla, and then Spike and Drusilla will again depart Sunnydale and be out of Buffy's hair. Buffy agrees to the deal on the grounds that Spike does not harm Angel. Giles and Willow formulate a spell to exorcise the Master from Angel's body and also protect Angel, Drusilla, and Spike from possession. Armed with the spell and her trusty Reaper blade, Buffy and Spike set off to destroy the master for the final time. Buffy and Willow are able to free Angel from the Master's control, while Xander and Giles succesfully exorcise Laibach from Drusilla, although the Master himself is able to 'retreat' back to his old lair in spirit form. Buffy is able to destroy the Dreamers in a confrontation in their realm, and then, using a spell discovered by Giles, the other Scoobies are able to make the Master corporeal again, allowing Buffy to stake him once more. According to Giles' voiceover, this results in the destruction of the Master's spirit, killing him forever. In the Epilogue, Buffy and the gang are at the Bronze. Willow ask Buffy why she is feeling down and Buffy says it's because she didn't make the cheerleadering squad. Upon seeing a vampire exiting with an unaware girl, Buffy gets out her stake and continues her duties, commenting "I'd like to see those pom-pom girls try making my squad." Characters The Scooby Gang: *Buffy *Xander *Willow *Cordelia *Giles *Angel Bad Guys: *Malik *Scylla *Matereani (The Necromancer) *Spike *Laibach of the Abyss *The Dreamers: Urd, Skuld and Verdandi *The Master *Dark Buffy Enemies *Vampires *Hell Hounds *Zombies *Spiders *Hanoch Demons *Siren demons Weapons *Stakes *Other wooden tools including shovels, rakes, bats, spears, and spikes *Hellfire vials *Holy Water *Crossbow- bolts can be blessed with holy water or lit with hellfire *Watergun- filled with hellfire or holy water. *Reaper blade with or without Reaper wings (Capable of being used as a close-combat or long-range weapon). Voice cast *David Boreanaz: Angel *Nicholas Brendon: Xander Harris *Charisma Carpenter: Cordelia Chase *D. C. Douglas: The Master *Alyson Hannigan: Willow Rosenberg *Anthony Stewart Head: Rupert Giles *Giselle Loren: Buffy Summers *James Marsters: Spike Trivia *This project started as a PlayStation game, but development was moved to the Sega Dreamcast and Windows. These version were later scrapped, and development was moved to the Xbox. *While Buffy the Vampire Slayer was advertised as a single-player game, it has a hidden multiplayer mode, apparently for debugging purposes. *Buffy cannot swim in this game. She dies instantly if she falls into deep water. *The game starts with a variation of the expository narrative that was featured in the early Buffy episodes, as well as a variation on the opening titles sequence. However, both of these are made up of game footage. *When in the Sunnydale High School library, you can see a diploma hanging on the wall with a "Whatever" title on it. *Sarah Michelle Gellar was originally asked to voice Buffy in this game, but she declined because they refused to let her see the script. *After Malik's initial attack on Giles and subsequent battle with Buffy, one of the conversations with Giles reveals that Buffy has returned to cheerleading, but Giles has no problem with it as long as it doesn't interfere with her duties. Buffy then remarks, "I like this alternate universe Giles. Is the old one coming back?", to which Giles replies, "Don't be ridiculous, Buffy. The alternate universe Giles has a beard." This is most likely a reference to the Mirror Universe of the Star Trek franchise, in which that world's version of Spock sports a goatee. Goofs *It is possible to kill the big, tough vampire in The Bronze by depleting his life and staking him in the ground. However, when the player tries to escape, he is alive again. *When you fight against Angel in the hidden multiplayer mode, Buffy will say lines referring to The Master, not Angel (though Angel was possessed by The Master in single-player mode). *The intro incorrectly credits The Powers That Be for the creation of the slayer. *Most, if not all vampires will continue to talk after they die and turn to dust. External links *[http://xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/buffy-the-vampire-slayer/542509p1.html Review of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (XBox) at GameSpy] *Interviews with publisher [http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=2790 Fox Interactive] and developer [http://www.gamingtarget.com/article.php?artid=1155 The Collective] at Gaming Target Category:Buffy the Vampire Slayer games